The city council passed Ordinance 47, s. 2021, or the “Baguio Comprehensive Sports Code of 2020” for the overall development of physical fitness programs and sports activities in the city that are accessible to all.
The ordinance aims to provide training and regular active participation of athletes, coaches, and trainers in local, regional, Luzon-wide, national and international competitions; scout, train, and sustain potential athletes who are city born and to prepare them to represent the city in various competitions in the county; promote the hosting of national tournaments and year-round sports activities; improve the benefits and privileges of local sports associations, city athletes and coaches in representing the city to various multi-level sports competitions; and promote the city as a sports center in northern Luzon.
The ordinance provides that only athletes, coaches, and trainers accredited by the City Sports Council (CSC) shall have the authority to represent Baguio by bearing the name or official logo of the city in official uniforms, flags or banners, in regional, Luzon-wide, national, and international competitions whether organized by the government or private sector duly sanctioned by the National Sports Association, Philippine Sports Commission, Philippine Olympic Committee, or its mother sports agency.
All athletes, coaches, trainers, and officiating officers shall be allowed to represent the city or receive cash incentive from the same with prior approval from the CSC which shall also issue certification of authorization to represent the city to athletes and coaches after due observance to the city’s sports ranking system.
The selection committee as identified by the CSC shall conduct a selection process through interviews, try-outs and training exercises, qualifying or elimination tournaments, and other methodologies.
Other features include the celebration of the “Baguio City Sports Day” every 7th day of December of every year; the sports tourism promotion activities which include the wall/rock/mountain climbing; airsoft/paintball/soft gun; fun run and other footraces; biking; skateboarding; indigenous games; PWD Special Olympics; Panagbenga and Summer Vacation sports; Mr. Baguio Body Building; virtual sports; Fil-Am Golf tournament; and other extreme sports.
The ordinance provides cash incentives for winning athletes and their coaches in national sports competitions with condition that Baguio-resident athletes shall be prioritized.
Only athletes who are permanent residents of the city, born in the city or athletes who traces his roots in the city, whose mother or father was born in the city, shall qualify for incentives from the city for their participation in international competitions.
Employed coaches/trainers either in government or private sector can render their services as coaches, trainers and referees after office hours or during weekends in any local sports competition organized and recognized by the city government and they shall be paid on honorarium basis.
A Baguio-resident and Baguio-attached athlete who wins in regional and national sports competitions shall be recommended or endorsed in any sports scholarship program in the tertiary level within the city; recommended by the city mayor through the CSC as enrollee of the National Academy of Sports pursuant to Republic Act 11470; recommended to be given priority by the Commission on Higher Education and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority under its scholarship grants and study programs.
Upon the death of any registered athlete and coach, the primary beneficiaries shall be entitled to a lump sum benefit of P10,000 to cover for funeral services.
The other benefits and privileges provided under the ordinance are sports medicine, psychology, nutrition and physical fitness evaluation; grants for financial assistance to local sports associations; benefits and privileges to registered officiating officers; hall of fame awards; establishment of City Sports Museum; tax exemptions on the use of sports facilities; and on sports events.
A copy of the ordinance was submitted to the office of Mayor Benjamin Magalong.
April 25, 2024
